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Abstract
Northern Wisconsin’s tourism economy has drawn the attention of scholars interested in the economic linkages that exist between it and sending areas in the urban and suburban Upper Midwest. Interrelationships between the two areas have left an indelible mark on the rural landscape through the presence of lakefront vacation homes owned by nonresidents. Where are these properties located, and where do the nonresident landowners call home? Geospatial data for 816,000 parcels, provided by the Wisconsin State Cartographer’s Office, are utilized to reveal the extent and value of nonresident property in the Northwoods. Schumpeter’s theory of Creative Destruction is used as a framework to explain the emergence of tourism-dependent communities in the region, and case studies reveal the impacts of nonresident property taxes on public school funding. These findings suggest that as population in the Northwoods declines in upcoming years, communities will increasingly rely on nonresident investment to sustain local institutions.